Movable platform-ladder for buildings.



No. 740,382. PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

G. J. OESTREIGHER; MOVABLE PLATFORMYLADDER FOR BUILDINGS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 24, 1903.

H0 MODEL:

v 0 INVENTOR.

BY ;1j.0mw,u

UNITED STATES GEORGE J. OESTREICHER, or oLsvELA'No'oHIo, AssieNoR or oNnHALF Patented September 29, 1903.

P TE T OFFICE.

TO JOSEPHKELLER, QF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MOVABLE PLATFORM-LADDER FOR BUILDINGS.

SlQEOIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,382, dated. September 29, 1903. Application filed January 24, 1903. $erial No. 140,344. (life model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that LGEORGE J.0Es'rRE1oHER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident ofCleveland, county of Guyahoga, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Movable Platform-Ladders for Buildings, of which the'following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes or the like for buildings; and the object of my improvement is to provide facilities in front of buildings which can be useful as fire-escapes and as balcony construction by means of which the washingof windows from the outside can be readily accomplished and which may be otherwise useful in case of repairs, painting, 85c. I attain this object in and with a structure constructed substantially as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a partial view in elevation of a building and a side view of a movable platform-ladder. Fig. 2 is another view in elevation of a building and a face view of said movable platform-ladder. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the floor of one ofthe platforms of said ladder, and Fig. at is a perspective view of said platform and a part of the ladder.

Like letters of reference denote like parts of the drawings and specification.

In the main my invention consists of the iron ladder A, attached to which are a number of platforms B, whichare arranged approximately at the height .of the windows, the entire structure being equipped for movement along the fronts of buildings. As shown, there isprovided a track or railing O at about the height of the second story, said track being supported in any suitable manner. Each of the poles or uprights of the ladder is provided at its lower terminal with a roller or caster b, which rolls and is guided upon the rail 0, thus forming a support forthe ladder. At their upper ends the uprights a are provided with' guide-rolls c, which prevent the ladder from tiltingoutwardly. The guideway d is so placed that the ladder may assume a position slightly out of plumb away from the building, in which instance the rolls 0 remain continually in action.

Along the whole. length or height of the ladder extends a shaft D, which is guided and supported in bearings, as shown at a. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The terminals of said shaftcarry spur-gears f f which engage with the racks g g. Furthermore, at convenient height above each platform are securely fastened the hand-wheels? h h, and by these means it is made possible to move the ladder along the front of buildings as conditions may require.

In each of the platforms there are trapdoors jj, which, however, are normally left open, so that in case of fire one may without interruption descend along the rungs of the ladder. In closing the doorsjj they serve as the floor of the balcony and upon which the operator can stand in washing windows or performing other work which may become desirable.

As will be seen, the ladder portion is located at a point away from and parallel with the face of the building, the platforms or bal out of the window will not readily reach the user of the escape nor be apt to destroy or highly heat the rungs of theladder. Further more, the ladder beingon the outer side of and forming one of the faces of the platform'the latter can be readily entered from the window, and when used simply as a balcony for observation purposes or for use in operating on the windows the ladder will in no way obstruct the view of the occn pant or preventfree move ment of the person during the washing or other operation. The particular means for moving the ladder along the front of a building are of great advantage, inasmuch as the cases where the ladder is moved by ropes or cables extending lengthwise of the ladder and adapted to be moved by the operator pulling luu thereon in a direction longitudinally of the rope or cable.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a ladder movable along the front of a building and guided at its opposite ends; of a series of balconies or platforms carried by said. ladder,'said plat.

forms being interposed between the ladder and the front of the building, the ladder forming one of the sides of the balcony; and means, operable from each of the balconies, for moving said ladder.

-2. The combination with a ladder movable along the front of a building and guided at its opposite ends; of a series of balconies or;

platforms carried by said ladder, said platforms being interposed between the ladder and the front of the building, the ladder forming one of the sides of the balcony, each balcony having a trap-door floor; of means with said gears to move the ladder; balconies or platforms carried by the ladder and interposed between it and the front of the building, the ladder forming one of the sides of the balcony; and hand-wheels carried by the shaft adjacent to the several balconies, whereby the ladder may be moved along its supports by a movement of any of the hand-wheels.

GEORGE J. OESTREICHER.

WVitnesses:

JOSEPH KELLER, BERNH. F. EIBLER. 

